Massive global outrage forces Iran to hit pause button on contentious ‘hijab and chastity law’

Iran’s National Security Council has put the brakes on implementing the highly contentious “hijab and chastity law” that was slated to take effect from Dec 13 amidst escalating domestic and international backlash against the law.

President Masoud Pezeshkian described the legislation as “ambiguous and in need of reform,” indicating plans to revisit its provisions. The law proposed stricter penalties for women and girls who fail to fully cover their hair, forearms, or lower legs, including fines, longer prison sentences of up to 15 years, and mandatory reporting by businesses.

Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, condemned the law. The group accused Iranian authorities of “seeking to entrench the already suffocating system of repression.”

During his presidential campaign earlier this year, Pezeshkian voiced his disapproval of the state’s treatment of women regarding the hijab. He pledged to respect personal freedoms, a message that resonated with younger Iranians, frustrated by years of government-imposed restrictions.

Masoumeh Ebtekar, a former vice-president for women and family affairs in a statement, also criticized the law, calling it “an indictment of half the Iranian population.”

The hijab debate intensified after the arrest of Parastoo Ahmadi, a popular singer, last week. Ahmadi performed a virtual concert on YouTube without wearing a hijab. The broadcast quickly went viral, and her subsequent arrest, along with her bandmates, sparked public outrage. Authorities released them a day later following widespread backlash.

Tensions around the hijab have remained high since the 2022 protests triggered by the death of Mahsa “Zhina” Amini, a young Kurdish woman who died in police custody after allegedly violating the dress code. Since then, many young Iranian women have openly defied the hijab rules, challenging the government’s authority.

Over 300 Iranian activists, writers, and journalists recently signed a statement calling the proposed law “illegitimate and unenforceable,” urging President Pezeshkian to deliver on his campaign promises, according to media reports.

While hardliners close to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have pressed for the law’s enforcement, the decision to delay its implementation suggests officials fear a resurgence of the large-scale protests seen two years ago.

Supporters of the President argue that the law is unlikely to curb defiance and could worsen tensions, as younger generations in Iran appear increasingly unafraid to resist the regime’s restrictions.